AGAWAM, Massachusetts (WGGB/WSHM) — Agawam was ablaze with color Sunday for the fourth annual Pioneer Valley Art Festival.
Attendees were able to view art from across Western Massachusetts inside and outside the Agawam Polish American Club.
“This one, which I just finished, took over 175 hours to make. Rockport motif number one, one of the smaller ones, took maybe 100 hours,” artist Kimberly Beauregard told us.
Beauregard was one of dozens of artists exhibiting and selling their work at the fourth annual Pioneer Valley Art Festival on Sunday. Agawam’s Polish American Club was transformed into an artist’s haven with pottery, jewelry and multi-talented artists like Serena Croutreau.
She told us that her work aims to raise awareness of Central Nervous System Syndrome, a condition Croteau suffers from that affects the central part of the spinal cord. And we asked her why opportunities for young artists like her are important.
“It gives us the opportunity to show what we are capable of through our work and to prove to older generations that we can follow in their footsteps,” she said.
The centerpiece of the exhibition was a mosaic featuring works by over 250 artists from Western Massachusetts.
Karen Conkey, Board Member, Agawam Community Artists and Artisans
“Most of these paintings are by people who have never done art before, and I love having them come here and see their art,” explained Karen Conkey of Community Artists and Artisans. “These canvases sell for $25 each, with net proceeds going to scholarships for high school students studying art.”
The show ended at 4pm on Sunday, but the artists we spoke to are already looking ahead to next year’s show.
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